Kids Just Wanna
Have Fun
Is God a Party Pooper?
Key Faith Foundation: God Encourages Celebration (Fun!)
Key Scriptures: Leviticus 23:6-8, 23-25, 33-36;
Psalms 16:8-11; 21:1-6; Romans 13:13
Bible basis for teachers
Leviticus 23:6-8, 23-25, 33-36; Psalms 16:8-11; 21:1-6; Romans 13:13
O GRAPPLE QUESTION: Is God a Party Pooper?
O KEY FAITH FOUNDATION: God Encourages Celebration (Fun!)
od is not a party pooper! Yet it’s sad but true that some people think God
needs to stay locked up in a church building—they never involve him in
the fun parts of their lives. Use this lesson to encourage kids to quit thinking
that God doesn’t want them to have fun! Remind kids to invite God along when
they’re playing video games with friends or just hanging out.
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
G
Through Leviticus 23:6-8, 23-25, and 33-36 we see God’s plans for three parties
his people should have each year. During these parties people rested from
work, ate food, brought gifts to God, and played instruments; the parties were
not too different from some parties we might attend today. Some of God’s parties even lasted for several days. Use these verses to talk with kids about how
God creates—and enjoys—parties. Encourage kids to think about the types of
parties that would please God, based on the types of celebrations he planned
for his people.
Romans 13:13 describes the types of parties that Christians should not be
involved in. As followers of Jesus, we’re expected to “live decent lives for all to
see.” This means avoiding “wild parties and drunkenness…sexual promiscuity
and immoral living.” Encourage kids to think of ways they can make sure they
don’t engage in that type of behavior. Talk about what steps kids can take if they
find themselves at that type of party in the future.
In Psalms 16:8-11 and 21:1-6, the psalmist describes the presence of God as
restful, joyful, and filled with pleasure and blessings. Encourage kids to talk
about what it means to enjoy the presence of the Lord and be given your heart’s
desire. Remind kids that no earthly fun and laughter can compare to the joy and
blessing found in the presence of God.
understanding preteens
God doesn’t want us to remove joy from our lives—and preteens can be encouraged in this. If preteens view things in somewhat black and white terms, they
may mistake God’s commandments as boring rules. Showing preteens that God
encourages us to celebrate, can get them excited about how awesome God
really is.
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LESSON SEQUENCE
WHAT KIDS WILL DO
SUPPLIES
1
Build relationships.
•DVD player
•snacks
•Christian music CD
•CD player
Choose two games to play.
•coin
•classroom supplies
Watch the Grapple DVD,
then plan their own party.
•DVD player
In small groups, learn about
one of God’s parties. Then
design an invitation for a
festival.
•Bibles
•pencils
•copy of the Grapple Team
Guide for each person
•markers
•construction paper
grapple
community
(5 minutes)
2
grapple games
(10-15 minutes)
3
grapple time
(10 minutes)
4
grapple team
time
(15 minutes)
5
6
(10 minutes)
Report what they learned
from the Bible passage they
studied.
grapple prayer
Choose a prayer option.
grapple team
reports
(5 minutes)
7
grapple dare
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
the lesson at a glance
•Bibles
•paper
•pencils
Hear the Grapple dare.
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1 grapple community
Play Christian music as kids enjoy snacks and friendship. Give kids this discussion starter as they eat. Say: Discover the last party each person in your team
went to.
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
2 grapple games
Say: We’re going to play a game, but you’ll get to choose. Would you rather
play Heads or Tails (p. 104), where some of you are “heads” and others of
you are “tails” and when I flip a coin, depending on which side lands up,
one group will chase and tag the other group? Or would you like to play
Bodyguard (p. 103), which is a game of tag where bodyguards try to prevent
fans from tagging the stars? Have kids vote on the game they’d like to play.
Then lead kids in playing the game.
Say: Now we’ll play another game. Would you rather play Wheelbarrow
Racing (p. 105), where you work with a partner to get through a classroom
supply obstacle course? Or would you like to play Body Clumps (p. 103),
where you connect body parts with groups of different sizes? Have kids vote
on the game they’d like to play. Then lead kids in playing the game.
3 grapple time
Cue the Grapple DVD to the “Party-Pooper God” clip.
Lead the entire group in the following:
Say: It’s celebration time! With a partner, plan a party. Dream
big! What things do you need for a fun party?
Since the most important ingredients for any party are the
guests, don’t invite any party poopers. You want guests who
love people, like to laugh, and are good listeners. A party
pooper zaps all the fun out of your party. So as you plan your
party, write a list of the five guests you’d invite to make your
party fun. Allow time.
What kinds of things or people would you have at your party?
Raise your hand if you put a guy on your guest list. Does your
list include a girl? your best friend? me? God?
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Wait a minute! Why did you or didn’t you invite God to your
party?
Do you think God is a party pooper? Why or why not?
Some people think God is anti-fun. In fact, watch this video to
see what a party might look like if God were a party pooper.
Show the “Party-Pooper God” clip on the Grapple DVD.
Is that how God would act at your party? Is that how God acts
in your life—not wanting you to have any fun? Is God really a
party pooper? Let’s grapple with that.
Break into Grapple Teams. Encourage Grapple Team leaders to check in with
kids about their week. Grapple Team leaders will facilitate discussion, using the
Grapple Team Guide on pages 93-94.
5 grapple team reports
At the end of Grapple Team Time, have kids work with their team to choose one
of the options below to report what they discovered.
Option 1: Body Rhythm
Create a musical rhythm by stomping your feet or clapping your
hands as you share what you discovered.
Option 2: Alliterate
As a team, come up with one letter, and share what you learned
by using only words that start with that letter or sound.
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
4 grapple team time
Match Grapple Teams that chose Option 1 with Grapple Teams that chose
Option 2. Have teams present their reports. (Do this one team at a time if you
have only two Grapple Teams.)
6 grapple prayer
Read the Grapple Prayer options. Have the group choose one prayer option that
everyone will do. Allow kids time to pray about what they discovered. Then close
in prayer.
Option 1: Bible Prayers
Look at one of today’s Key Scriptures, Psalm 16:8-11. Silently
read the psalm as a prayer.
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Option 2: Picture Prayers
Draw a picture of who God is to you (it could be a symbol or a
word that you decorate), and tell God what you’re thinking about.
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
7 grapple dare
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Say: God is not a party pooper! And yet it’s sad, but true, that some people
think God needs to stay locked up in a church building and never get
involved in the fun parts of their lives. I dare you to be different! I dare you
to quit thinking that God doesn’t want you to have fun! I dare you to take
God along with you when you go to a party. I dare you to invite God to come
along when you’re playing video games with friends or just hanging out.
(Find the Parent Page for this lesson on the enhanced DVD. Have each child give
a copy to his or her parent. Alternatively, send the file to parents via e-mail.)
grapple team guide
In your Grapple Team, use this guide to grapple with today’s question.
How many celebrations does your family have each year? If it’s less
than seven, you might be more of a party pooper than God is!
If God planned a party, what would it be like?
Leviticus 23 describes God’s plans for seven parties his people
should have each year. God planned extra days of rest to remind
people to focus on and worship God. If God were a party pooper,
why would he plan parties for his people? Explain.
To learn more about what one of God’s parties would be
like, choose one of these festivals described in Leviticus
23: The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8);
The Festival of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25); or The
Festival of Shelters (Leviticus 23:33-36).
Design an invitation for your festival. Include the typical invitation
stuff: who, what, when, where, and why.
Share your invitations with one another.
Compare God’s parties to the parties you planned
earlier. What’s the same and what’s different? Talk about
parties you like to go to. What do you think God would
say about these parties?
If God likes the parties he planned, what kind of parties does God
dislike?
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3. Is God a Party Pooper?
Read Romans 13:13.
Why do you think God would be a party pooper at these parties?
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Read Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 21:1-6.
The writers of Psalms said that being with God is like having a
party all the time. (OK, the writers really said something about
“the joy of your presence,” but that means basically the same
thing!) Look in each psalm for three reasons why the writers of
these psalms would enjoy inviting God to their parties.
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So what do you think? Is God a party pooper or not? Is God out
to zap all the fun parties out of your life? Explain.
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grapple team reports
3. Is God a Party Pooper?
With your team, choose one of the options below to
report what you discovered.
Option 1: Body Rhythm
Create a musical rhythm by stomping your feet or clapping your hands as you share what you discovered.
Option 2: Alliterate
As a team, come up with one letter, and share what
you learned by using only words that start with that
letter or sound.
W grapple team guide